


don't let go

by nonopiimagines



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Gender-neutral Reader, Kissing, Reader is The Captain, Swearing, idk - Freeform, maybe ooc ellie, mild spoilers for ellie's quest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 15:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21460492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonopiimagines/pseuds/nonopiimagines
Summary: gender-neutral Captain x EllieEllie and the Captain head back to the Unreliable after their first visit to Byzantium.
Relationships: Ellie Fenhill/Reader, The Captain/Ellie Fenhill
Comments: 9
Kudos: 58





	don't let go

Her lips found their way lower and lower, past your jaw and slowing their descent on your neck. Your head kept screaming at you, this is what you wanted, this is what you’ve always wanted, to have her this close, to have her open up to you, to have her _choose_ you. But you knew it wasn’t right, even as her neatly cut nails grazed across the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine. It wasn’t right.

She wasn’t normal, charming-but-deadly Ellie. She was angry, frustrated, stab-things-with-a-scalpel Ellie. And you knew the exact two people who were to blame for her shift in attitude. 

But you had never seen her so livid. The fire burning so brightly inside of her, it threatened to spill out in ways you weren’t sure how to handle. So if this was an outlet for her, it was better than tearing up the fragile peace in Byzantium, bar hopping and starting fights until dawn. But, void almighty, was this a teetering edge you were on. You had better play your cards right or lose Ellie forever.

You felt her groan against your throat, impatience and annoyance resonating through her voice. “Why aren’t you doing anything? Bored already?”

You didn’t intend to laugh in that moment, but you did and Ellie immediately pulled away. She huffed, hurt flashing across her face before turning toward the door to leave. “Fuck you too.”

“Ellie, wait.”

She stopped, her hand paused above the door control panel, the soft orange light illuminating her hand like she was some sort of fire goddess, poised to wreak destruction on her enemies. But she had always been some sort of goddess to you.

“I just thought it was funny,” you spoke slowly, a smile on your face, hoping that she knew you were telling the truth. A truth that was maybe hidden in words with lesser meaning. “I thought it was funny because I don’t think I could ever be bored around you.” 

“Always the optimist, aren’t you?” Her hand dropped back to her side and her shoulders sagged, a dark weariness weighing upon her. “People get tired of other people, that’s just the way it is.”

You took a step towards her, your arm reached out, eager to connect with her. “Well, maybe you need an optimist,” you paused, your voice getting softer with each word. Her back still turned to you, you brushed your fingers against hers, wanting her to feel just as you were. “And maybe I need a realist. Such as yourself.” 

This time Ellie laughed and you felt elated, butterflies suddenly erupting in your stomach. It meant everything to you to make her smile, to make her laugh, to make her feel.

“Someone needs to keep your head out of the clouds, I suppose,” she admitted, finally turning to face you. You scanned her features, watching the storm in her eyes dissipate slightly, leaving behind her confident smirk. But you didn’t want to stop there. You didn’t want her to think that you were just placating her enough for her to return to “normal” Ellie with all her walls up and her defenses in place. 

You wanted to be vulnerable with her. She made you want to _try_. 

“It’s not just that,” you began, your hands grabbing hers tightly so that maybe she would feel how fast your heartbeat was racing, how real the words were coming out of your mouth. “I just want you to know that I will always be here for you, Ellie. In whatever way you need me to be. No strings attached.”

You were afraid to look at her then. Afraid that she would return to being aloof and detached, comfortably far but close enough to remain a constant. So you slowly dragged your eyes up, away from her hands in yours, across the perfectly skewed blue shirt that she always wore, and stopping on her nose, crinkled in confusion, watching as the confusion slowly melted into defensiveness. 

“Why?” 

“Because I like you.” There. Just put it out there. Who the fuck cares? Ellie is a fucking verdant garden of life, eager to explore and experience what’s out there even if it means pain, even if it means learning things the hard way. And you wanted to be right there with her. If she wanted you to be.

“It’s never that simple,” she shook her head in disbelief, her frigid eyes staring at a spot beyond you, but her hands still stayed tucked in yours, unmoving. You were hopeful even as she looked on, searching for answers in the empty space. “Nothing is unconditional.” 

“This is supposed to be.” It felt right to break apart at that moment, freeing your hand so you could cradle her cheek, to bring her gaze up to meet yours. Still she seemed hesitant, her eyes boring holes into your soul, trying to sift through the pieces to find lies and untruths. So you made her an offer, “You could try it with me.”

“Try what with you?” 

“A relationship,” you started and she rolled her eyes, bringing her hand up to press your palm into her cheek, her fingers sliding into the spaces between yours. Still, it emboldened you to continue, a smile growing as your spoke. “A relationship built on trust and friendship and love.”

“Did you get that from a serial or something?” 

“No, that came from my heart.” You pretended like you were shocked that she would even ask such a question, but still, you hoped she knew you meant it. Even if she had shreds of doubt now, you knew time would brush them away. You wanted to be your very best for her. “And if you ever feel like our relationship is conditional, you can walk away.” 

She stared at you for a long time, her eyes tracing over every inch of your face, looking for a reason to say no or a reason to say yes. When she finally spoke, her voice was as clear and certain as it had ever been, “Okay. But if you fuck me over, I’m taking the ship.” 

You nodded enthusiastically, the butterflies in your stomach threatening to erupt out of your chest, suppressing the urge to pull her into a hug and never let her go. “If I fuck you over, you deserve the ship.”

She stepped closer to you, pulling your hand away from her face so she could wrap her arms around your neck. “Now that we got all the mushy stuff out of the way, let’s go back to kissing.”

“Definitely.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after meeting Ellie's parents for the first time. Ellie is precious and must be protected.
> 
> requests are always open, find me on the tumblr @nonopiimagines


End file.
